Warning signs
by Mrstrentreznor
Summary: Bella sees some signs, hears a song and has a major rethink; AU how breaking dawn should have ended?


Rtnnc10 challenged me to write a one shot to go with the Coldplay song Warning sign

/watch?v=h8oTT9r9978

**AN: my mind went from warning signs to road signs to cars and then to that crazy car Edward borrowed for pre change Bella.**

Disclaimer: _the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

88888888888

**Warning signs.**

_No one is staring at you._

But they were. Not that they could see her through the incredibly dark tinted windows. Mrs Weber had almost twisted herself into a pretzel to look at the car in the lane next to hers; two pedestrians had forgotten to cross the road on the 'walk' sign, and behind them Mr Marshall was staring out the window of his souvenir shop.

The traffic light turned green and in her rush to get away from them all, she hit the accelerator too hard and then hit the brake and almost stalled the car. If there was any doubt about who was driving this car, it was certain now; only Bella Swan could make such a complete and public spectacle of herself.

She cursed Edward for buying this thing. She cursed her truck for finally dying. She cursed her favourite mechanic for not being around.

The car just looked like an extremely expensive Mercedes, but only a select few actually recognised it as the special model they made for heads of state, movie stars and drug dealers. The Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard. She wasn't sure why Edward just didn't get her a chauffer too.

The armour plating and extra protection added a literal ton to the weight of the car. So therefore the 12 cylinder engine was completely necessary to handle that increased load.

Given she normally drove an ancient Chevy truck, she was really not used to this… monster. And given it was running on fumes at the moment, she had to actually fill up that massive fuel tank that would somehow seal itself if it was shot. It was a safety feature too. She used her new credit card at the pump so that she could escape quickly.

She stood at the gas pump refilling the car. She felt as if a massive spotlight was trained on her, drawing attention to the ring on her left hand. She felt like it pulsed; _look at me, look at me_ it screamed.

She hated the attention. She hated being forced to be so self conscious. It was not only the car, and the ring that drew too much attention to her. But she had also been mysteriously accepted into an Ivy League college literally on the other side of the country; that was a nine day wonder in Forks. As was the fact that she now had a black American Express card burning a hole in her wallet. The reaction when she tried to pay for things with it was almost comic. Cashiers in tiny little Forks held it like it was a rainbow or something insubstantial that would disappear if they took both hands off it.

"Excuse me," the man interrupted her thoughts. "I'm sorry to bother you, but could you tell me what kind of car you're driving?"

"Um, it's a Mercedes, right?" Typical that she sounded like she didn't even know what it was.

"I know… but is it a _Guard_? Sometimes they call them a guardian."

She stared at the offending car; **it** drew all this attention to her. She frowned at it. "I guess so," she finally answered him. The pump finished.

"Do you mind if I take a picture with it?"

"The car?" she checked.

He nodded excitedly. "No one will believe me otherwise."

She slunk into the front seat. He didn't want _her_ in the picture.

"I miss my truck," she whimpered.

She seriously suspected Edward of having something to do with the death of her truck. She had agreed that Edward could buy her a new car if and when the truck died and one week later…

It was too convenient. The truck reminded her of Jake. And she suspected that Edward didn't want that.

She could hear them raving on about how much the car cost. Maybe one and a half million dollars. It was an obscene amount for a large piece of metal and glass. Tank proof. The tires could be shot out and it would still drive. How crazy that Edward would even consider she might be targeted by anti tank missiles. He was **so** over protective.

She hadn't listened to music for a while, but today for some reason she had flicked the radio on. Maybe it was these guys who wanted to take pictures of her new car, and now they were discussing whether _she_ was anything important or not. They decided she probably wasn't.

She turned the radio on, to drown them out. They finally finished and she started the purring beast and drove out of the garage.

Coldplay came on the radio. She liked this song. She was humming along before she actually stopped to listen to the words.

Then the chorus came on:

When the truth is, I miss you  
>Yeah the truth is, that I miss you, so<p>

She stopped at a stop sign.

STOP

The sign said 'stop'. She stopped.

It was right next to a poster of Jake. One of the ones Charlie had put up all over town. He had stapled them to every pole and taped them to street signs. Each one was like a slap to her face. One that she felt she deserved. The visage of her favourite mechanic. Her Jacob Black. Her best friend.

It made a huge, fat lump appear in her throat and it brought stinging tears to her eyes. It was Saturday and Edward was out hunting. Just as well because he hated it when she was crying.

She looked at it.

Stop.

STOP!

**STOP!**

It was like Jake was still there. Reminding her of the promises he had made to her. And the things she had told him. She had told him that she loved him. She _really_ loved him. And she hated hurting him. She had cried so hard after telling him she chose Edward that she nearly made herself sick. She had even worried Edward. He kept asking her if she was sure she had made the right decision. Had she?

She looked at Jake's face with 'HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY?' typed underneath. Charlie had made sure they were all over the peninsula and in every police station in the region. He had a whole corkboard allocated to the search for Jake. It remained frustratingly empty.

And Charlie's relationship with his best friend was strained too. Billy refused to allow the flyers on the rez and he wouldn't help Charlie in the search. "He'll come home when he wants to," was all he said.

Jake's face.

_Please don't do this, Bells._ She could hear him inside her head. A small sob escaped her. Then she jumped as the car behind her blasted its horn. She had taken way too long to go through a simple stop sign.

She drove to her house. She ran upstairs and turned on her old computer. She moved agitatedly around her room; picking things up and putting them down again a minute later. What was she doing?

When the screen finally lit up after making some annoying and increasingly worrisome whirring noises, she opened the dial-up and connected. She typed in the lyrics she could remember from the song.

The search engine helpfully supplied that the only option was a song from Coldplay called 'Warning Sign'. She nearly laughed out loud. Warning sign?

She remembered studying for her driving test.

_A traffic warning sign is a type of traffic sign that indicates a hazard ahead on the road that may not be readily apparent to a driver._

A hazard ahead. One that was not apparent to the driver.

Was Jake **still** telling her what NOT to do? What were the odds, that the song would be called warning sign? Why was it called that?

She clicked on one of the search options for lyrics of the song.

_A warning sign_  
><em>I missed the good part then I realized<em>  
><em>I started looking and the bubble burst<em>  
><em>I started looking for excuses<em>

_Come on in_  
><em>I've gotta tell you what a state I'm in<em>  
><em>I've gotta tell you in my loudest tones<em>  
><em>I started looking for a warning sign<em>

_When the truth is, I miss you_  
><em>Yeah the truth is, that I miss you, so<em>

_A warning sign_  
><em>You came back to haunt me and I realized<em>  
><em>That you were an island and I passed you by<em>  
><em>And you were an island to discover<em>

_Come on in_  
><em>I've gotta tell you what a state I'm in<em>  
><em>I've gotta tell you in my loudest tones<em>  
><em>That I started looking for a warning sign<em>

_When the truth is, I miss you_  
><em>Yeah the truth is, that I miss you so<em>  
><em>And I'm tired I should not have let you go<em>

_Ooooooooooooooooo_

_So I crawl back into your open arms_  
><em>Yes I crawl back into your open arms<em>  
><em>And I crawl back into your open arms<em>  
><em>Yes I crawl back into your open arms<em>

God! It was like her and Jake's song. An island I passed by. I should not have let you go.

What could she do? Jake was running somewhere in wolf form. He was still so upset by her choice. And Edward had made it worse by sending him the invitation to the wedding.

The only one in the wolf pack who would talk to her was Seth. She phoned him occasionally; she did so with her finger hovering over the end button, petrified that Leah might answer. She was really not her favourite person.

'_Hello.'_

Phew. Not Leah. "Seth, its Bella."

'_Oh hiya, Bella! How are you?'_

Not good. Choking up. Desperate for reassurance. "I'm fine," she lied.

'_Calling for an update?'_

"You're a psychic."

He chuckled. _'Not hardly. You're just predictable.'_

"I know." She waited for a beat. "How is he?"

Seth sighed. _'Same as ever. He won't talk, though we know he __**hears**__ us…'_

"He hears you?" she checked.

'_Yeah but he tries not to be human, you know.'_

"He hears you," she repeated.

'_Yeah… he can't ever really escape the pack, you know… I mean he's freaking miles away in northern Canada or something…' _Seth prattled on.

He could hear _her_. If she talked to Seth, Seth could transmit the message to Jake. She could actually talk to him.

**And say what?**

"Seth will you be around this afternoon?"

'_Sure, sure,'_ he responded.

It made her wince. Jake's trademark response.

'_Why?'_

"I might come see you," she ventured.

'_Cool.'_ A pause. _'Later then, eh?'_

She hung up.

She sat on the edge of her bed. She sat there for the longest time.

She stared at her worn carpet. The ring flashed in the light and left sparkling dots up the wall.

She wanted to talk to Jake.

She jumped in the insanely priced car and drove out to La Push. She pulled up at the Clearwater house. Leah came out. Bella glared at her and then remembered the super tinted windows. Leah couldn't even see her.

She lifted her chin. She was not going to fall at the first hurdle. She stepped out of the car. The door closed behind her with a satisfied sound.

"Leah."

"Swan."

"Can you phase for me?"

"What the fuck for?"

"I want to talk to Jake."

"Why? So you can tear his heart out a little more?" Leah glared daggers at her.

"I just want to talk to him," she pleaded.

"You've really hurt him."

"I-I know." she stared back at Leah. "I could ask Seth."

Leah rolled her eyes. "Jesus Christ. Fine. Come out the back with me." She stalked off. Bella could hear her muttering about better her than Seth naked or something.

She scuttled after her. She hated the way Leah always made her feel ungainly.

Leah stopped just inside the tree line and quickly rid herself of her clothes. Bella shut her eyes. Leah barked at her when she was ready. Wolf Leah stood on her four feet; her tail swishing back and forth angrily.

"Jake… I know you can hear me… I asked Leah to do this for me… please don't be angry with her… I…" She flapped her hands indecisively. Then she took a deep breath and she let it out again. She tried to look into wolf Leah's eyes. She tried to communicate with her Jake.

"I heard a song today… it was all about missing someone… and ignoring all the w-warning s-signs…" Her voice caught as she choked up.

Leah's massive wolf head titled a little. She looked doubtful.

"I don't know why I've missed all the warning signs… he keeps trying to make me into something else… look at this ring… and the car… oh my god Jake… he bought me a tank proof car… a Mercedes Benz guardian or something insane."

She sat down on the ground and picked at the grass. "It's insane."

Leah whined. She sat on her haunches.

"J-Jake… I want you back… I want my best friend… I want my favourite mechanic… h-he killed my truck Jake," she wailed. "I think he did it deliberately, so he could buy me this crazy car."

She wiped at her cheeks with her hand. "And he really is going to make me into something else… and I don't think I want to do that… not anymore."

Leah pushed at her with her enormous head.

"H-he… doesn't love me… he's in love with my potentiality… he doesn't really know me at all… the car is the clincher you know. It's huge and black and costs half a million dollars and …" she stopped. "Its expensive and elegant like all the Cullens…"

Leah whimpered.

"And it's just not **me**… and he would know that if he really loved _**me**_." She made a strangled sob noise. "**The way you love me.**" She sobbed and russet arms went around her. It was Seth. He must have heard them. He hugged Bella from behind and they both sat on the ground and she wailed as if her heart was broken. Leah phased back, dressed quickly and hugged them both.

"He's on his way," she said. "He's closer than we thought. He was trying to come back to dance with you at your wedding."

"He loves me that much?"

"Guess so."

"Oh my god… the wedding."

"Bella, the Cullens are nice people. If you've changed your mind, they will honour that," Seth stated.

"They just won't know yet. Because I am with you, and you guys block Alice's visions," she pointed out between sniffles. "They have to stop all the guests."

"Where is he?" asked Leah.

"Hunting." She knew she meant Edward.

Bella looked at her hand. She reached down and she slid the engagement ring from her finger. "I have to tell them now. Sooner is better," she stated.

She pulled her phone from her pocket and selected a number from her call list.

'_Hello love.'_

"Edward…" she stopped. She couldn't say it.

Leah rolled her eyes.

Bella huffed.

"I-I…" she started.

'_You've changed your mind,'_ he guessed.

"Yes."

'_Jake?'_

"Not here… still wolf somewhere." That was the truth.

'_I wondered… after the battle. You were so sad.'_

"Is Alice with you?"

'_Yes._' He sounded quizzical.

"I'm at La Push. She probably can't _see_ me."

'_She can't see you at all,'_ he stated. _'She's making phone calls. Don't worry, it will all be taken care of. _'

There was an awkward silence.

'_W-what was it?'_ he asked tentatively.

"The car," she admitted. "It was too much."

'_Ah. Jasper told me that.'_

She heard a noise in the background; a crashing sound.

'_This should be our goodbye, Bella. If you come near me again, you may falter…'_

"Falter?"

'_Our scent… I have come to the realisation that it affects you.'_

And the moment he said that she knew it was true. Each time she had been really angry with him, she had forgiven him the minute he got within touching distance. She had always put it down to his extraordinary good looks. He had got Alice to kidnap her for heaven's sake.

"Please tell Alice that she can phone me or email or something. She's my friend and I can't lose her too."

'_I'll do that.'_

"I'm sorry, Edward. I'll return the ring."

'_Emmett can collect the car from your home. Keep the bracelet.' _A pause._ 'You can sell it if you want to; if you need the money.'_

"Money?"

He actually managed a small laugh. _'It's a diamond, Bella. You never realised?'_

She held her wrist up. Seth and Leah both stared at the glittering heart that hung opposite the small red wolf.

"Shit!" swore Seth.

Leah made a snort noise.

"T-thank you," she managed.

'_I will… always love you.'_

"Yes, me too. I mean, and I you."

'_You will be safest with the wolves. They can protect you. You do seem to attract the supernatural…'_ He stopped suddenly and she knew that he had stopped himself from calling her 'love'.

"We'll look after her Edward," Seth promised knowing Edward would hear him.

'_Thank you, Seth.'_

She made a small wounded noise.

'_Goodbye Bella. Be safe, be human, have a full life with children; just as I always wanted for you.'_

He hung up quickly.

Bella cried a little more. She wiped at her face with her hands. Leah reached out and touched the heart shaped diamond. She seemed unable to stop herself.

"Typical," she snorted. "Hard, shiny, expensive and pretending to be something it isn't."

"Like the Cullens," Bella finished for her. It **was** the perfect metaphor for them.

"Who do you trust to drive the car?" she asked Leah.

"Embry," she stated.

"Oh man," whined Seth.

Leah rolled her eyes. She studied Bella. "It's late, but you got there. That took guts, Swan," she conceded.

Bella smiled; a small movement through her tears. "Thanks Leah."

888888888888

They helped her inside, and explained everything to Sue. She made Bella drink some hot tea with sugar while Leah rang Embry. Seth was still sulking about not getting to drive the car. In the end Leah relented and let him go as a passenger. Bella gave him the ring to give to Emmett.

When Embry arrived, the two of them bounced off whooping and hollering. It made Bella smile.

"You need to call Charlie," Sue stated.

"Yes." A pause. "Will he be angry with me?"

"No." Sue looked as if she was warring with herself. "Relieved," she added.

That shocked Bella.

"He… he kept saying he felt like he was losing you."

Leah looked concerned.

Sue continued, "And I couldn't tell him the truth."

"No." So many secrets. She phoned Charlie, and Sue was right.

She didn't want to go home. She felt safe in La Push. In the end she fell asleep on the battered Clearwater sofa. Sue laid a throw over her and brushed her hair out of her face. Sue thought that she looked utterly exhausted; bags under her eyes and she had got worrisomely thin. Trust vampires to not notice.

The back door crashed. A naked, filthy Jake appeared in the doorway.

Sue didn't blink. "She's asleep. Did you want a shower?" she whispered.

Jake shook his head. He opened his mouth but seemed to be having trouble speaking. He sat on the floor next to her and stared at Bella's face. Sue handed him some shorts but he didn't move to put them on, just held them over his lap.

She opened her eyes. It took her a little while to focus on Jake. She smiled at him; a long slow smile.

"Jake," she breathed. The song still seemed to playing in the back of her mind. "I missed you so. And I'm tired, I should not have let you go," she said echoing the lyrics.

"It will all be all right now, Bells," he assured her. And then he scooped her off the lounge and into his arms and it didn't matter that he was dirty and that he had leaves in his hair, because they were finally together. They clung to each other.

For the first time she lowered her defences. She had always pushed Jake away; shielded herself from him. She had never really let him in. He had come close in that kiss outside the tent. But now she dropped all her defences and she kissed him with her whole heart.

He kissed her back and she felt some of Jake's eternal warmth slide into her heart. Her sun. Her Jacob. They both felt it.

She pulled her head back. "We just imprinted."

"Yeah," he confessed. "Weird huh?"

"No," she assured him. "It's about time."

She had _really_ let him in. And she would never ever regret it.

FF_2154210_ - 20/11/2011 05:13:00 PM


End file.
